why is my car so slow

R

rockyracoon

10 Year Member
Nov 23, 2005
874
27
49
margate NJ
#1
like the subject line says.Ive got a 92 LX 5 speed, bone stock with 134K on the clock.engine runs fine ,doesnt smoke,no codes present,mileage sucks,
It has new 02 sensors, tune up,new ect sensor,but like Im said the system passes . engine revs nice,the only thing is a very slight stumble at idle.I had an 87 GTthat would spank this car as well as a 93 that would knock it off easy,I got beat by a 92 seville the other day,although I missed second gear.I guess the first thing would to check compression.
 
#2
rockyracoon said:
like the subject line says.Ive got a 92 LX 5 speed, bone stock with 134K on the clock.engine runs fine ,doesnt smoke,no codes present,mileage sucks,
It has new 02 sensors, tune up,new ect sensor,but like Im said the system passes . engine revs nice,the only thing is a very slight stumble at idle.I had an 87 GTthat would spank this car as well as a 93 that would knock it off easy,I got beat by a 92 seville the other day,although I missed second gear.I guess the first thing would to check compression.
Click to expand...
If you missed second gear I would check the driver!!:D
A dyno run/tune you provide you with a world of information,what you have and what you need!!:D :nice:
 
#5
rockyracoon said:
like the subject line says.Ive got a 92 LX 5 speed, bone stock with 134K on the clock.engine runs fine ,doesnt smoke,no codes present,mileage sucks,
It has new 02 sensors, tune up,new ect sensor,but like Im said the system passes . engine revs nice,the only thing is a very slight stumble at idle.I had an 87 GTthat would spank this car as well as a 93 that would knock it off easy,I got beat by a 92 seville the other day,although I missed second gear.I guess the first thing would to check compression.
Click to expand...

exactly what is the fuel economy?
Find out what gears you have in the rear end, is that what you had in the other cars?
At 134k miles the motor should be far from dead, but with a lack of performance and drop in economy I would start looking for a vac leak.

jason
 
#6
Hmmm, stumble at idle....

Well, first I would look at the obvious, check the condition of the cap, rotor, plugs, wires, fuel filter, PCV, air filter, ect. Any which need replacing, should be replaced. Before checking the plugs, let the car idle so it stumbles, so when you pull the plugs, then the last running is where it was running poorly, and will help you narrow it down. The plugs should be somewhat white in color, this is normal for a EFI car, but compare the plugs to each other, if one or two is adversly different, it's time to look further.

A compression check is a good idea, if everything is good then check the strenght of the ignition, it that is good, then consider having the fuel injectors cleaned through the injector. I am a master tech at a repair center and we have had so many fuel injector/system issues since the Katrina/Rita incident, seems like the gas has gotten crappier. I have a special kit to clean them through the injectors, really helps.
 
#11
oh no......looks like I started something I need to finish,

Stock Maxima's are #275 horsepower
Evo's are almost #300 hp
Lancers, New mustang's are arond #300 hp, there are even a ton of Suv's that have more hp than a almost 20 year old stang.....If I am right a stock stang is like #225 hp?

With the right bolt on's we can keep up.
 
#13
The cap plugs and rotor are new,timing is at around 12-14 ,MAF has not been cleaned,but like I said the motor runs reasonably well,and it can fry the tires out of the hole but it is just not very quick.It has 308s and as far as I know both of my other had em as well,the 87 I had would get rubber in 4 out of 5 gears and it was bone stock.btw thats why I think older stangs are reasonably quick because most other cars are over 2800lbs,my 92 turboranger weighed even less.
 
#15
frying the tires in 4 out of 5 gears? that sounds a little exaggerative to me. i mean, my Mustang HAULS for what it has...and it will only get rubber in 1st through 3rd...and 3rd is more of a "chirp" than a straight up SPIN.

Josh
 
#16
gruvee87vertgt said:
oh no......looks like I started something I need to finish,

Stock Maxima's are #275 horsepower
Evo's are almost #300 hp
Lancers, New mustang's are arond #300 hp, there are even a ton of Suv's that have more hp than a almost 20 year old stang.....If I am right a stock stang is like #225 hp?

With the right bolt on's we can keep up.
Click to expand...

Your right, and then your wrong, because those are peak numbers, most of those motors don't make 300tq, and thier peak torque is much higher in the rpm band. A foxbody is just a good platform, stock it's kind of slow. Yes, the motor is outdated, but there are updates available. :) If you want, go to ls1tech.com and look at "conversions and hybrids" where there are quite a few people dropping in LS1's into foxbodies. You can pick up a LS1 with T56 for about $3500-5000, which sounds like a lot, but consider what your getting and it's potential. For me, I have been bouncing around options, and the LS1 was one of them, but decided to go all out, nothing will be made by Ford on my car except the body.

I used to have a '95 Escort GT 5speed. Honestly, my 5.0 felt slower when I got it. Yeah, it had more torque, but the Escort had more up top, in fact the first time I ran it at the track, the ET was the same, but the MPH was 4mph slower in the mustang in the 1/8th mile, and the sad thing is that my Mustang at the time had underdrives, CAI, and flowmasters, while the Escort when I ran it had only a flowmaster. (don't flame me, I was just practicing) However, the Mustang was so much more fun to drive. It's a real car, the escort, is an escort. I miss the MPG though, plus the sleeper factor. The base Escort LX has a 88hp 1.9, most don't even know about the GT's 1.8 mazda motor. I would never go back.
 
#17
90mustangGT said:
Your right, and then your wrong, because those are peak numbers, most of those motors don't make 300tq, and thier peak torque is much higher in the rpm band. A foxbody is just a good platform, stock it's kind of slow. Yes, the motor is outdated, but there are updates available. :) If you want, go to ls1tech.com and look at "conversions and hybrids" where there are quite a few people dropping in LS1's into foxbodies. You can pick up a LS1 with T56 for about $3500-5000, which sounds like a lot, but consider what your getting and it's potential. For me, I have been bouncing around options, and the LS1 was one of them, but decided to go all out, nothing will be made by Ford on my car except the body.

I used to have a '95 Escort GT 5speed. Honestly, my 5.0 felt slower when I got it. Yeah, it had more torque, but the Escort had more up top, in fact the first time I ran it at the track, the ET was the same, but the MPH was 4mph slower in the mustang in the 1/8th mile, and the sad thing is that my Mustang at the time had underdrives, CAI, and flowmasters, while the Escort when I ran it had only a flowmaster. (don't flame me, I was just practicing) However, the Mustang was so much more fun to drive. It's a real car, the escort, is an escort. I miss the MPG though, plus the sleeper factor. The base Escort LX has a 88hp 1.9, most don't even know about the GT's 1.8 mazda motor. I would never go back.
Click to expand...

I agree the 5 litres arent that fast infact I said before my handa prelude felt faster and for the money you could make a 4 cyl car way quicker than a fox stang. I want to make my 89 fast but the money isn't there so I have been thinking about selling and buying a turbo talon cause they are fast as ****
 
#19
Brians89GT said:
I agree the 5 litres arent that fast infact I said before my handa prelude felt faster and for the money you could make a 4 cyl car way quicker than a fox stang. I want to make my 89 fast but the money isn't there so I have been thinking about selling and buying a turbo talon cause they are fast as ****
Click to expand...

I don't know about the bang for the buck modding a 4 popper. You hit a wall early with those cars and it takes major money to get over that wall and then the walls keep on building higher. The fact is that your very limited. With a foxbody, there are hurtles but nothing that hard to get over.

Yeah, my foxbody ran slower than my escort even with a few mods. The Escort's 1/8th ran 10.3 at 76-77mph, the 5.0 ran 10.3 at 73mph. OMG what a gear, some deletes, better driving, and a few other mods make, ran a 8.8 at 79-80mph. Got it down to 8.4 with more mods, but try to get a 4 popper to break into the 9's without spray, try to get into the 8's, you will need some real mods. What I am building now from Rick 91GT (rnhperformance), along with the other things I'm doing, no streetable 4 popper will give me heat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
Blue smoke..
Replies
1
Views
472
1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-
weendoggy
weendoggy
AnthonyA1234
Engine Is there something wrong with my engine or is this just normal modded fox behavior?
Replies
6
Views
2K
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
90sickfox
90sickfox
AydenTv
Engine A few issues with my new 88 Foxbody that i couldnt find definitive answers to....
Replies
6
Views
2K
Fox 5.0 Mustang Tech
7991LXnSHO
7991LXnSHO
3
my '00 3.8L has a couple issues, need insight.
Replies
4
Views
1K
SN95 V6 Mustang Tech
Toofastt
Toofastt
M
High RPM Stumble
Replies
7
Views
3K
SN95 4.6L Mustang Tech
mattmm04
M
Top Bottom
Back
Forums
Menu